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Service Children's Education
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to set targets for pupils in schools operated by the Service Children's Education Authority; and if the Service Children's Education Authority is to be included within the inspection regime currently in operation for local education authorities. [59190]
Mr. Spellar: Service Children's Education is an Agency of the Ministry of Defence charged with the provision of education services to MOD personnel serving overseas and with the provision of advice to service personnel in UK on educational matters. Key Targets for the Agency are approved annually by Ministers and those for 1998 were announced in the House on 25 June 1998, Official Report, columns 565-66. In addition, the current Key Targets are set out in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts which were laid before Parliament on 30 July 1998.
Whilst SCE schools are subject to inspection by Ofsted, the Agency falls outside Ofsted's remit to monitor Local Education Authorities. However, the Chief Executive reports on a termly basis to an Owner's Board whose membership includes representatives of the DfEE, Ofsted and an LEA. SCE is also subject to MOD's own internal management inspection and audit as well as being audited annually by the National Audit Office for the production of the Agency's Accounts.
Officer Training Corps (Queen's University)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Officer Training Corps at Queen's University, Belfast. [57588]
Mr. Doug Henderson: The Department has no plans to make changes to the University Officer Training Corps. Queen's University Officer Training Corps will continue to provide an opportunity for students to undertake a wide variety of military training, which will enable them to develop their self-confidence and initiative and to gain useful skills for any future profession.
Major Eric Joyce
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he (a) has taken and (b) proposes to take following the recent appearance on television of Major Eric Joyce speaking on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party; and if this contravened Queen's Regulations. [58791]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 9 November 1998]: Serving members of the Armed Forces are not permitted under Queen's Regulations for the Army to take an active part in the affairs of any political organisation. Major Joyce's future in the Army is currently under consideration by the Army Board.
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Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake a study of the potential environmental effects of cruise missiles landing on (a) oil wells and (b) petroleum-refining complexes. [59547]
Mr. Doug Henderson
[holding answer 16 November 1998]: We have no current plans to undertake such a study.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what receipts were generated for the Defence Budget by 198 Field Park Squadron in financial years (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97 and (c) 1997-98. [59467]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
There have been no significant receipts generated to the Defence Budget by 198 Field Park Squadron in the last three financial years.
Mr. Blunt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the marginal costs that will be incurred by the Ministry of Defence in assisting the provision of aid and relief to Central America following Hurricane Mitch. [59466]
Mr. Doug Henderson:
Full details of the marginal costs to the Ministry of Defence of providing this humanitarian assistance are not yet available. We estimate, however, that the figure should be below £100,000, as help has been provided by forces which would otherwise have been engaged in operations or training in the Caribbean area.
Millennium Compliance
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the President of the Council (1) what is her latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in her Department, separately identifying expenditure to date and future expenditure; and if she will make a statement; [60052]
- (2) if she will list the problems which have arisen in her Department from millennium compliance; if she will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work; [60053]
(3) what assessment she has made of the extent to which the computer systems in her Department will be modified and tested in relation to the millennium computer problem by January 1999; and if she will make a statement; [60054]
(4) if she will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by her Department in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60055]
Mrs. Beckett:
Work on ensuring the Millennium compliance of the Privy Council Office's systems is being taken forward as part of the Cabinet Office's Year 2000 Programme. No insurmountable problems are expected
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for the Cabinet Office and its agencies arising from millennium compliance. Plans are well advanced to replace non-compliant systems as part of an ongoing programme of work. Business continuity is not believed to be at risk, but the Cabinet Office and its agencies nevertheless have continuity plans that cater for possible disruption. Details of the Cabinet Office's programme, together with costs, were published following my last quarterly statement to the House on 9 September and are available in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the President of the Council what estimate she has made of the cost to the UK public sector of tackling the millennium computer problem and the embedded chip problem; and if she will make a statement. [59945]
Mrs. Beckett:
The latest estimate of the cost of tackling the Millennium bug across central government departments and agencies is £400 million. This figure is based on departmental returns to the September quarterly review.
Forecasts which have been made by independent experts and companies with experience of the costs of tackling the problem have put the total cost of tackling the Millennium bug across the whole of the UK public sector in the range of £1 billion-£3 billion. These figures appear to be reasonable. For example, the NHS Executive has estimated the cost across the NHS in England at around £310 million, while the Local Government Association has put the cost to local authorities at £500 million.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the President of the Council what action she is taking to increase the preparedness of (a) local authorities, (b) the Police, (c) defence forces and (d) the NHS in relation to the millennium computer problem; and if she will make a statement. [59946]
Mrs. Beckett:
As the Cabinet Minister responsible for the co-ordination of Government policy in response to the Millennium Bug, I have been working with colleagues to drive forward action in both the public and private sector. As a key part of this work, I am responsible for monitoring and reporting on the progress across all central government departments and agencies and key parts of the wider public sector, including local authorities, the Police, the Ministry of Defence and the NHS. Details of the progress in each of these four sectors were included in the last quarterly statement which I issued on 9 September. I will be making my next quarterly statement on progress in tackling the Millennium Bug to the House shortly. Specific questions about progress in these four sectors are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Home Affairs, Defence, and Health respectively.
Mr. Winnick:
To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will publish the total number of House of Commons passes issued for persons
17 Nov 1998 : Column: 459
classified as assistants/research assistants to hon. Members, and the known number who work full or part-time in the above positions. [59944]
Mrs. Roe
[holding answer 16 November 1998]: 448 photo-identity passes have been issued for hon. Members' research assistants. The numbers who work full or part-time are not known, as an hon. Member is not required to give this information.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been (a) killed by explosions caused by terrorists and (b) killed by bombs which they were constructing, transporting or placing in position, in each of the last 10 years and the current year. [59030]
Mr. Ingram:
The following table illustrates the number of persons killed by explosions caused by terrorists and by their own bombs over the period in question:
| Year | Number of deaths caused by explosions | Killed by own bomb | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 39 | 3 | 42 |
| 1989 | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| 1990 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| 1991 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| 1992 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 1993 | 17 | 2 | 19 |
| 1994 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 1995 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1997 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1998(1) | 30 | 0 | 30 |
(1) To 8 November
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